Oscillating Multi-Tool Buying Guide

An oscillating tool is largely designed for pros and avid enthusiasts of home improvement, and it can seriously up your DIY game by letting you tackle projects that might otherwise require a professional. It’s not essential in the same way that a cordless drill is, nor does it work the same way. While a cordless drill spins a bit to bore holes or drive screws, a multi-tool has a head that oscillates in a back-and-forth motion, allowing it to cut, sand, and grind. If you typically hire a pro for household jobs, you don’t need to buy an oscillating tool. But if you like to handle your own projects around the house, an oscillating tool will help you tackle tasks that you can’t do with a drill, saw, or hand tools. 

The real magic of an oscillating tool comes from the broad array of attachments it can use. Here are some of the most common jobs, and the attachments used for each. 

• Cutting. A multi-tool can cut wood, metal, plaster, or drywall. In a store, you’ll typically find blades for each of those specific tasks. You’ll also see multi-purpose blades, designed for use on any of those materials. Those blades don’t make cuts in specific materials as well, but you can save money by buying a single multi-purpose blade for multiple projects.
• Sanding. Most multi-tools have triangular sanding attachments designed to accept sandpaper of varying grits for different projects. Because of the triangular shape of the sandpaper and the attachment, they’re ideal for sanding in tight corners on a floor, as you’d do to sand wood or tile adhesive. 
• Grinding. If you need to regrout a bathroom, a multi-tool is a godsend. Most tools take grout-grinding attachments, which consist of a blade shaped like a half or quarter moon, specially designed to tackle the task.

Oscillating tools look and work similarly, but a handful of key differences can make certain models easier to use and more versatile, too. 

• Corded vs. cordless. Most models are cordless, but corded models offer plenty of power and they’re often a good value. If you go with a corded model, look for one with a cord that’s at least 12 feet long to maximize reach. In contrast, cordless options can go anywhere, allowing you to work without access to an outlet. But you’ll typically pay a bit more for them, and of course you’ll need to periodically charge the battery.
• With batteries and a charger vs. without. If you go cordless and you already own a cordless drill, consider buying an oscillating tool from the same brand. You can use the battery and charger that came with your drill and save about 30 percent on the cost of the oscillating tool by buying it bare. (The same goes for electric lawn tools.)
• As a stand-alone tool vs. part of a kit. Oscillating tools are often included as part of a larger toolkit. Most kits are sold with three to seven tools and also often include a drill, a circular saw, two batteries, and a single charger. Buying tools in a kit almost always provides the lowest price per tool and the best value, provided you’ll use all of the tools in the kit and don’t already own any of them.
• StarLock vs. bolt attachments. Blades and attachments for oscillating tools attach in one of two ways. Some less expensive models use a bolt to secure attachments. That makes switching attachments a bit time-consuming, requiring you to loosen a bolt to remove a blade or tighten it to attach one. But most models now use a mechanism called StarLock, StarLockPlus, or StarLockMax, all of which we recommend over the bolt attachments. All three StarLock systems are similar, but StarLockPlus and StarLockMax have more points of contact between the blade. The oscillating tools that are compatible with the Plus and Max also tend to be more mechanically advanced, so they’re able to attach to larger and more aggressive blades and attachments. Many tools in our ratings can take all three types of StarLock blades.

Most oscillating tools come with at least a handful of attachments to get you started, often including at least one sanding attachment and one general-purpose cutting blade. But you’ll probably need to buy a few attachments separately. Here’s what to consider.

• General-purpose blades. These handy blades can typically cut wood, metal, or some combination of the two (like wooden studs embedded with nails). If your tool doesn’t come with one, they’re worth purchasing because they can be used for most jobs around the house, like trimming molding or cutting plywood for an arts and crafts project. But they won’t provide a cut that’s as quick and clean as one made with a specialty blade for only a single material type.
• Wood and metal blades. Specific blades for wood or metal do best on those materials and last longest, too. If you’ve got a project that requires cutting lots of material of one type—say, wood trim or metal pipe for plumbing—your best bet is to buy blades made for one material or the other.
• Grout-removal blade. Grout is hard and will burn through regular cutting blades. A grout-removal blade is often edged with carbide or diamond dust; both help blades remove grout without wearing down (though diamond is tougher than carbide, and therefore the blades that feature it are pricier). You can’t use these blades for much else, but they’re essential if you’re working on a large tiled area.
• Sanding attachments and pads. Most oscillating tools come with a sanding attachment, but you can also buy one separately. Sanding attachments work by holding onto sandpaper specifically made to fit onto them. We suggest purchasing a variety pack of sandpaper, one that includes grits ranging from about 60 (for tasks like getting dried glue off of wood) to 400 (for finely sanding wood into a splinter-free finish).